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Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Music by Robert Sherman, Philip Seldon, Bob Sherman ISBN: 0-02-861634-0 Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 20 June, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.6 (5 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Maybe I'm not the right level of idiot
Comment: I bought this book because I wanted to develop a better understanding of the music I was hearing at concerts. I was disappointed. The authors spent so much effort trying to make the book interesting that they didn't include the information I was seeking. I can understand the wordplay in the section headings, but I got VERY tired of the "Bet You Didn't Know" sections with tidbits like "Salmonella was reputed to be such a wonderful piano player because he had two left hands." I tried to just skip them, but the remainder of the text assumed the reader had read those sections.
The music theory portion of the book - the part I wanted to understand the most - is only 13 pages and still left me lost. Some of it may be from oversimplification. One question I had - and still have - is the meaning of a piece described as being In C Major. The book states that this is "the basic tone on which the rest of music is constructed." I don't know if that means the most common note, the midpoint, or something else. Examples of specific works would go a long way to making this discussion more useful.
This book might be an amusing resource if you're looking for biographical trivia about composers, singers, or performers. But I would not recommend it for someone struggling to understand the music.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent for those who find classical intimidating
Comment: Ironically, I took up violin when I was four (like so many Asian kids) but gave it up after 13 years of continuous practice. Recently I realized that even though I could still play, I did not know much about classical music as a genre! So I bought this book and found it very informative. Let me just say that (after checking with my music history professor) everything you need to know about classical music is here, explained in a friendly and clear way. You'll learn how to appreciate classical music as well as who-is-who in the field.
Now, would someone care to write a "complete idiot's guide to Chinese music"? :)
Rating: 3
Summary: For a few dollars more, buy Classical Music for Dummies
Comment: This book is not bad at all. It may deserve 4 stars had I never read Classical Music for Dummies. A book on classical music ought to come with a sample CD. This one doesn't. And you won't know what you miss until you get the other book.
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Title: Classical Music for Dummies by David Pogue, Scott Speck, Glenn Dicterow ISBN: 0764550098 Publisher: For Dummies Pub. Date: 21 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $24.99 |
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Title: Classical Music 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Classical Music by Fred Plotkin ISBN: 0786886277 Publisher: Hyperion Press Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jazz by Alan Axelrod, Alpha Development Group, Richard Carlin ISBN: 0028627318 Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 26 February, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Opera for Dummies by David Pogue, Scott Speck ISBN: 0764550101 Publisher: For Dummies Pub. Date: 21 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $24.99 |
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Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine, Second Edition (2nd Edition) by Philip Seldon, Alpha Group ISBN: 0028636619 Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 13 January, 2000 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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